Nothing moves here: World famous painter SH Raja

World renowned painter Syed Haider Raza is a sad man today. The 87-year-old painter from Madhya Pradesh, who has been living in Paris for the past six decades, wants to do something for Damoh, his sleepy hometown in the backwaters of Bundelkhand.

Nothing, however, seems to work there, thanks to pity squabbles and selfish interests
of some distant family members and the locals here.

Raza visited Damoh on January 30 and 31and went to his old dilapidated government school in Futera locality and also the house where he lived in the 30s as a school-going boy.

Barely able to walk, Raza, however, managed to climb the stairs of the school in the narrow lanes of the old town last Friday and went to all the dingy classrooms, touched the walls and saluted the structure a number of times.

An emotionally chocked Raza could not control his tears seeing the state of his alma mater. The millionaire painter had given some donations for the primary school. A couple of rooms were constructed, but the poor quality of civil work done there clearly showed money had been squandered. The pathetic condition of school remains the same, saddening the Padma Bhushan awardee.

Some local residents like journalist Santosh Bharti at whose home he stayed earlier, are also trying to get the possession of his old house back to him to make a memorial there. The occupants - his distant relations — are not too keen to vacate it and perhaps want a sizeable compensation.

After coming out of the school and on way to his ancestral house, Raza said he always remembers his teachers Beni Prasad Sthapak and Jharia sir and wanted to do something for the school “but nothing really moves here”.

He said if he could achieve this height in life it was all due to his gurus who were extremely dedicated teachers and laid the strong foundation of his career.

"My good old memories times again bring me back to Damoh from Paris,” he said, adding “my painting have a lasting impression of my childhood days spent in Damoh, and before that, in Mandla”.

Raza’s father was a forest officer in the British India and Raza as a boy had wandered in the beautiful verdant forests of the area which he says is till fresh in his mind, despite failing memory.

Interestingly, during his India visit this time, the veteran artiste managed to visit Khajuraho temples. “I have always been longing to see the temples but could never go there, though I have visited Ajanta-Ellora caves and have seen the beautiful architecture, but not our own Khajuraho.

Raza, founder of the famous Bombay Progressive Artistes Group with KH Ara and FN Souza in 1947, is planning to set up an arts school and academy in Madhya Pradesh for which his efforts are on. His Raza Foundation promotes young artistes and gives annual awards but he still wants to do something more through his foundation, especially in Madhya Pradesh.